


Last Resort

by msraven



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gift Fic, M/M, Minor Crossovers, Mostly Fluff, Not MAoS Compliant, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-16 23:59:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4644885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/msraven/pseuds/msraven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A last resort is a friend who agrees to marry you when it's clear you ain't gonna find anyone else and so you don't grow old alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Last Resort

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ralkana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralkana/gifts).



> Written somewhat quickly and un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine.
> 
> Happy Birthday Ral!

"Barton! That you?"

Clint stops mid-stride and spins around, a huge grin breaking over his face. Phil doesn't recognize the voice or the man standing a few feet away, but it's clear that Clint does. He strides over to the other man, who matches Clint's wide grin as they share a friendly embrace.

"Flack! What the fuck are you doing here?"

The embrace lasts longer than Phil expects, the two men gripping each other like long-lost friends. When Clint eventually pulls back, he keeps his hands on Flack's shoulders as if unwilling to let him go. The look of fondness and joy on both the men's faces surprises Phil because he thought he knew all of Clint's friends.

"It's good to see you, man," Clint says sincerely and finally drops his hands.

"You, too. I'd say I was worried, but you looked good in all the news footage they've been playing. Guess I can't feel too bad about The World's Greatest Marksman scoring on me."

Clint throws his head back and laughs. "Whatever lets you sleep at night. So what are you doing here?"

"Bunch of us detectives are here for training on how to spot alien evidence."

"Oh! I heard about that. Danny here too?"

"Nah. They shipped the CSIs to DC for their training."

Phil clears his throat politely—they'd been on their way to a briefing with Fury and will be late if they delay much longer.

Clint whips his head around as if just remembering Phil is there. "Oh, shit! Right. Look, Donny, I gotta go, but we should get drinks and catch up."

"You free tonight?"

"Yeah. No plans. I'll text you when I'm out of this meeting?"

"Yeah."

The two men embrace again before Clint and Phil continue down the hallway towards the director's office. Phil tries not to chafe at not being introduced or Clint scheduling over their usual Tuesday night plans.

"A friend of yours?" Phil asks as nonchalantly as he can manage.

"Donny? Yeah. Met him when I joined that hockey league a few years ago—goalie. He's got great hands, but was no match for me, of course."

"Of course." Phil had gone to a few of Clint's games, but hadn't paid much attention to any of the other players. 

"Oh, hey! You don't mind watching Dog Cops another night, right?"

Phil shrugs. "Just don't blame me if Tony manages to spoil you before you get a chance to watch it."

"Nah. He's in Malibu until next week and it'd be worth it to hang out with Don. It's been a while since I spent time with a friend, you know?"

Phil frowns, but is saved from needing to reply when Clint opens the door to Fury's office. He tells himself that it was just a slip of the tongue on Clint's part and focuses on the debrief.

~^~

Phil goes home by himself that night, orders two pizzas on automatic, and tries not to dwell too much on how quiet his apartment is without Clint. He tells himself to get used to it—in case this thing with the NYPD detective works out—just like he'd gotten used to the other six days of the week after Clint had stopped living on Phil's couch. He purposely doesn't think about how the first few weeks without Clint had been much harder than the months of his recovery with Clint. Phil reminds himself, instead, of Clint's wide grin as he'd left HQ with Flack. Clint deserves to be happy.

There's a knock on the door right as Phil finishes changing into sweats and he's surprised to find Clint leaning against the door holding the two pizza boxes, not the usual delivery boy. 

"Clint! What are you doing here?" He takes the boxes from Clint and waves him inside. "Come in," Phil insists, never wanting Clint to think he isn't welcome. 

"Feeling extra hungry, boss?"

Phil hides his blush by turning and reaching up for the plates. "Ordered on auto pilot."

"I get it. Donny got called in, I started walking home, and my feet brought me here. Would have turned around like I usually do, but then Marco pulled up with the pizzas."

"Like you usually do?"

"Itshappenedalotsinceyougotbetter," Clint mumbles, ducking his head, before smirking and reaching for the plate Phil is holding out. "You know me, not thinking is my specialty!"

Phil shakes his head and doesn't say anything as they take their plates and the pizzas out to the living room. He would normally admonish Clint for hiding his intelligence, but with where his thoughts had been earlier, Phil is worried he would end up begging Clint to move back in. 

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Phil says when he feels a little more in control of his words. "Sorry your date got ruined though."

"Nah. Wasn't like that. Donny's a pal. There was the one time when we were both drunk, but it was just a hand job among friends, you know?"

Phil focuses on reaching for another slice of pizza because no, he doesn't know. For all the times they've sweat and bled over one another all these years, Clint has never done more than give Phil an affectionate squeeze on the shoulder or pat on the hand when one of them was laid up in Medical. 

"Flack's a good guy to hang with. He gets the job, can talk hockey, and if there's anyone who can make me feel good about my love life, it's Donny," Clint laughs. "It's why we're each other's last resort."

"Last resort?"

"Figured you wouldn't need one."

"I don't even know what one is, let alone say whether I need one."

"A last resort is a friend who agrees to marry you when it's clear you ain't gonna find anyone else and so you don't grow old alone. I can't remember if Don and I agreed to forty-five or fifty."

Phil's brain immediately reminds him that Clint turns forty-five in eight months and his heart seizes a little. "I, uh, thought that only happened in silly rom coms."

"For people like you, maybe."

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm the only one here who's actually over fifty."

"But you could marry anyone you wanted. I guarantee that any of your exes would say yes if you called and proposed right now. My exes wouldn't even answer the phone."

 _I don't want to marry any of them_ , Phil thinks. There's a reason why all of them are exes, after all. He never woke up in the morning eager to see their first, sleepy smile of the day or been unable to settle down for the night until they whispered a quiet 'goodnight'. Phil never felt the ache of loneliness when they weren't nearby or the skin-tingling thrill brought on just by hearing the sound of their voice. None of them had been Clint.

"So why wait?" Phil forces himself to ask through his unfortunate epiphany. "If you've found someone, why wait to use them as a last resort?"

"Because it's a joke. Neither of us really want to get married to each other. Just our way of acknowledging that we're both hopeless."

"If you're in love with him, then—"

"I'm not in love with Don. He's a pal. A good one, but that's it. Just a friend."

"And we're not… friends."

Clint frowns, a pinch forming between his eyebrows. "Wha...?"

"I know you care. You took care of me for months," Phil continues, unsure where this sudden rush of words is coming from. "Was it guilt? Am I a responsibility? You know I never blamed you. You're not required to be here. Not then and not now. I like having you here, but not if—" 

"No."

Phil blinks and pauses to take a breath, trying to read the emotion in Clint's eyes. "No?"

"No, we're not friends."

Clint's words should be breaking Phil's heart, but what he sees in his eyes tells him the opposite. Phil pushes his plate away and slides closer to Clint on the couch.

"Would you have ever asked me to be your last resort?"

Clint shakes his head. "You're not anyone's last resort."

Phil can't help the laugh that escapes, grabbing Clint's hand so he knows that Phil isn't laughing at him. But he needn't have worried because Clint is smiling at him as if he's just glad to have startled a laugh out of Phil.

"This is my fault, isn't it?" Phil asks. "I somehow made you think that I wouldn't want this. Wouldn't want you."

"I kind of figured you'd put me firmly in the friends-only category. It wasn't your fault I fell in love with you."

Phil squeezes Clint's hand and doesn't know what to say. After a moment of silence, Clint lifts their joined hands. "Is _this_ a responsibility? A way of you thanking me for being here during your recovery?"

"No! I swear. I wouldn't do that to you. I don't blame you for thinking that, but I… I've always been attracted to you. It was just safer not to think of you that way."

"So what changed?"

"You were here—in my apartment and in my life when you didn't need to be. I couldn't helping wanting you here and hating it when you left."

"I'm not sure that really makes me feel better about this."

"Then we'll take it slow. I don't mind dating for a while. Just… no more talk about a last resort."

It's Clint's turn to laugh. "Possessive much?"

"Get used to it. If there's anyone in your life who's earned the right to be your last resort, it's me. Not some two-bit detective, who just happens to play—"

The rest of Phil's rant is cut off when Clint's lips press against his. Phil kisses back and realizes he can live with Clint using unfair tactics to stop an argument.

~ Epilogue ~

"Danny!"

"Clint!"

Phil doesn't let go of Clint's hand as he greets the newcomer with a one-armed hug. He's tried to control it, but Phil's possessiveness seems to have gone into overdrive since he and Clint started dating.

"It's been too long. I'm glad you could make it. Where's Lindsey and the kids?"

"Lindsey's dropping the kiddos off at the sitter's. Date night, you know? Enough about us. Happy Birthday and Congratulations! Never thought you'd make it to forty-five, let alone convince someone to marry you."

"Fuck you. He asked _me_ ," Clint retorts, pulling Phil close to his side. "This is Phil, my fiance."

"Oh shit! Your one man cheering squad. I should have known."

Phil fights a blush as he holds a hand out for Danny to shake. He'd apparently cheered a loud enough for people notice whenever Clint scored a goal. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Danny grins. "Nice of you to finally make an honest man out of this delinquent."

Clint shoves Danny's shoulder and Danny shoves back, Phil unable to do anything but smile fondly at their childish antics.

As much as he and Clint had tried to take things slow, neither of them could deny their mutual feelings for too long. Phil had finally proposed a month ago and it only seemed right to combine their engagement party with Clint's forty-fifth birthday.

"Yo Flack! Get over here!" Danny calls out, waving to the detective who'd just walked into the bar. 

Phil still isn't fully comfortable with Clint's relationship with his former last resort, but he doesn't keep Clint from throwing his arms around his friend in a welcoming hug.

"Donny! Didn't think you were gonna make it. You remember Phil?"

"Bribed a newby to cover for me. Hi Phil." Flack greets, shaking Phil's hand and then reaching out to pull another man into their group. "This is Walsh, uh, Jason. My date."

"Nice to meet you," Phil says and wraps an arm around Clint's waist, leaning into his side in relief.

Based on the way Don and Jason are looking at each other, nobody is going to need a last resort after all.

~ _fin_ ~


End file.
